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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26317549">Here comes the sun (And I say, it’s all right)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/maestryeol/pseuds/maestryeol'>maestryeol</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EXO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:27:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,518</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26317549</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/maestryeol/pseuds/maestryeol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Baekhyun, on his way home from a party, stumbled upon a giant puppy who loves eating ice cream at four in the morning while waiting for the sunrise.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Here comes the sun (And I say, it’s all right)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was late September, the autumn foliage blocking the path where Baekhyun was sauntering home, his hands stuffed inside the pockets of his denim jacket as he grumbled profanities under his breath. </p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun was quite impressed with himself, to say the least. </p><p> </p><p>It was his first time walking home on his own from a party considering the fact that he was still feeling a little light-headed from all the drinking that he had done, his tongue tingling at the familiar bitter taste of whatever liquid he had consumed earlier that night. </p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun had never imagined himself walking alone at the break of dawn on a school night but if he was sober enough to get his ass up on someone else’s living room floor, then he can certainly walk himself home and finish that paper he was cramming that afternoon before Jongdae barged into their room and shamefully announced that they were going to a party. </p><p> </p><p>Speaking of his roommate, Baekhyun could clearly recall that Jongdae promised him they would leave early, that they only need to have a little fun then go back and study. Poor Baekhyun misunderstood that early in Jongdae’s vocabulary would be early-in-the-morning-when-the-sun-was-about-to-rise early and little fun was actually a lot of fun. </p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun groaned as he remembered the events that happened earlier that night, of how it got out of hand. He remembered arguing with Jongdae about the cockamouse. He remembered playing beer pong with their friends and a bunch of strangers from another school. He remembered drinking a few shots. He remembered dancing. He remembered having an intense make out session inside the bathroom. He remembered playing another round of beer pong. He remembered more dancing. He remembered Jongdae settling him down on the couch to get him some water, and that was pretty much how far he could remember. When Baekhyun woke up a couple of hours later, Jongdae was nowhere to be seen.  </p><p> </p><p>Jongdae must have scored a fuck tonight.</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun frowned at the thought. </p><p> </p><p>“That ungrateful piece of uncooked ham,” Baekhyun let out a huff of annoyance. He harshly kicked a pebble on the asphalt, imagining it as his best friend’s precious face.</p><p> </p><p>“Ouch!”</p><p> </p><p>Surprised to hear someone outside this early, Baekhyun snapped his head up only to see a tall boy rubbing his ankle. </p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun was about to mutter an apology but the boy sent him the scariest glare for the briefest second before turning his attention to something else. </p><p> </p><p>“My ice cream!” The boy shrieked, reaching down to pick up his half-gallon of ice cream. “Thank god it didn’t spill.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, man...I’m sorry,” Baekhyun finally said, voice rough and throat the slightest bit scratchy. “I didn’t see you there.”</p><p> </p><p>“No worries!” the boy said, perhaps too cheerful as he shoved a spoonful of ice cream inside his mouth. Baekhyun grimaced. What kind of person would be too happy in this ungodly hour? “You want some?”</p><p> </p><p>Caught off guard at the sudden question, Baekhyun failed to give an answer and only stared at the boy. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you probably don’t like sharing spoons,” the boy said, thoughtfully, tilting his head to the side. “Wait here!” </p><p> </p><p>Unsure of what was happening, Baekhyun silently watched as the boy excitedly rushed inside a building, leaving him confused and all alone once again. </p><p> </p><p>What the hell just happened?</p><p> </p><p>For a moment, Baekhyun thought he was imagining things. Then again, he was not the kind of person who sees things when drunk, which he was not at the moment, by the way. He was ninety nine point nine percent sober. Maybe it was the boy who was drunk or maybe he was on drugs and he was lowkey trying to get Baekhyun high. </p><p> </p><p>At that thought, Baekhyun started walking, tripping on his own two feet as he did. Just as he was passing by the apartment the boy went into, he heard a voice sounding so dejected. “I brought you ice cream.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun came to an abrupt stop after hearing those words, internally scolding himself for being too slow and for being caught. He should have made a run for it the moment the boy turned his back to him and went to his apartment. </p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun looked back only to find the boy pouting, looking so much like a kicked puppy with those large doe eyes looking so sad and betrayed. </p><p> </p><p>The boy jogged towards him, his hair bouncing with his every step. “I hope you like strawberries,” he said timidly, smiling nervously as he handed Baekhyun his own half-gallon of ice cream. Baekhyun who had no other choice but to accept the container, reached for it and smiled albeit feeling unsure. </p><p> </p><p>The boy sat down on the pavement in front of his apartment while Baekhyun followed with a resigned sigh, sitting next to him and making sure to put enough distance between them just in case he unsurprisingly turned out to be a drug pusher or a serial killer. Better safe than sorry, Baekhyun thought. </p><p> </p><p>Truth be told, Baekhyun had two choices. He could either make a run for it or he could stay and eat strawberry flavored ice cream with this stranger. Baekhyun chose the latter. He did so as he blamed it on the remnants of alcohol in his system and not on the way the boy’s lips jutted when he saw Baekhyun leaving. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m Chanyeol.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun opened the container and placed the lid beside him. “Baekhyun.”   </p><p> </p><p>“So, Baekhyun?” the smaller only hummed, busy scooping his frozen dairy. “What program are you in?”</p><p> </p><p>“Science. I’m an Entertainment Multimedia Computing major.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s so cool,” Chanyeol complimented, looking at him in awe. “A difficult program, I must say. You must be a genius, then.” </p><p> </p><p>“I get by,” Baekhyun shrugged, taking a huge bite of strawberry ice cream before gulping it too quickly, wincing as he felt the familiar sensation of brain freeze. “How about you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m in Legal Management.”   </p><p> </p><p>“You’re an aspiring lawyer?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Chanyeol laughed bitterly. “When I was like seven.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun finally looked at him, his spoon hanging in his mouth, feeling the evident mood change of the boy beside him. “You don’t want to be a lawyer?”</p><p> </p><p>Chanyeol shook his head as he let out a deep sigh. “It’s what my parents want for me.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun grabbed the opportunity to observe the weird and spindly boy next to him. Chanyeol had tired eyes, his hair was unruly perhaps he just got out of bed minutes before meeting Baekhyun, and his ears were a bit pointy which oddly resembled Baekhyun’s pet corgi back in Bucheon. Baekhyun found it adorable and had this strong urge of touching Chanyeol’s ear, but forced himself not to because that would be fucking weird.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you want to be, then?” Baekhyun asked instead. </p><p> </p><p>“I want to paint and I’m really good at it,” Chanyeol confessed, pausing for a while and smiling to himself albeit sadly before continuing. “But my parents said it would be a nonsense dream and I would have trouble earning money for a living. Can you believe that?” Chanyeol chuckled dryly. “They called my dream nonsense. My parents. They crushed their own son’s hopes and dreams.”</p><p> </p><p>As Baekhyun was listening to Chanyeol, he came to realize that there were still parents out there at this generation who outright disagreed and discouraged their child with their dreams, taking it away and ruining any ounce of hope, as if they have the right to in the first place, as if it was theirs to destroy just because they were the ones who brought you into this world. An old-fashioned way of thinking that should be changed. Baekhyun’s parents, on the other hand, gave all the support that he needed in every aspect of his life, especially when he figured out he wanted to be a game developer. Although his parents wanted him to be an engineer at first, Baekhyun showed them how enthusiastic and determined he was in creating and programming a game with the use of his notepad++ installed in his old computer back in middle school. </p><p> </p><p>“Did you talk to them about this?”</p><p> </p><p>“Once, but before I said another word, I was enrolled in a program I didn’t want to take.”</p><p> </p><p>“Didn’t you protest?”</p><p> </p><p>“I did, but they dismissed me every time. I don’t want to disappoint them any further, so I kinda just did what they wanted.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you doing well in Legal Management?”</p><p> </p><p>“Surprisingly so, yes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you happy?” </p><p> </p><p>Chanyeol turned to him, somber eyes boring into his own. Baekhyun could clearly see it in Chanyeol’s eyes that he was far from happy. It was never easy for someone to do something against their will. It would be even harder for a person to continue something if he was not happy with what he was doing.  </p><p> </p><p>“Your happiness comes first before anything else. Maybe you should go for it. After all, life is all about taking risks. I’m sure your parents would understand soon. They have to. You’re their son.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not that easy.”</p><p> </p><p>“It never was.”</p><p> </p><p>“It never was,” Chanyeol echoed, shoulders slumped and expression blank as he stared right ahead. </p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun ate his ice cream in silence, letting it melt on his tongue, not wanting to have another episode of brain freeze, as he thought of something to lighten up the mood. He had no idea what Chanyeol was thinking. All he wanted to do was to cleanse the sadness away from the boy’s features and there was only one way he knew how. </p><p> </p><p>“You know I thought you were gonna offer me drugs earlier.”</p><p> </p><p>Chanyeol choked on his ice cream. “W-what the hell?!”</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t really blame me,” Baekhyun said matter of factly, pointing his spoon at Chanyeol’s shocked yet amused face. It was comical how Chanyeol’s already large eyes can grow even larger. “It’s already weird as fuck seeing a person out at four in the goddamn morning, but offering free ice cream like it was normal?” </p><p> </p><p>Chanyeol laughed heartily at that. “I’m just being friendly.”</p><p> </p><p>“Being friendly my ass,” Baekhyun snorted. “For all I know you might drug me and kill me when I’m already high and sell my organs then throw my dead and useless body in a river.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s ridiculous,” Chanyeol replied, amusement evident in the way he looked at Baekhyun. </p><p> </p><p>“Really?” Baekhyun held his chin high, challenging Chanyeol.</p><p> </p><p>“First of all, I won’t kill you here. That would be too risky. If I were to kill you I’ll probably take you to someplace remote. I don’t want to tire myself from carrying your lifeless body. If anything, it would only slow me down.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun hummed as he considered Chanyeol’s idea.</p><p> </p><p>“There’s a high chance of someone seeing me carrying a corpse on my way to the river so it would probably be best to kill you where I would bury you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I see your point,” Baekhyun stroked his non-existent beard as he nodded in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“Someone might even recognize me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Unless you’re wearing some kind of disguise,” Baekhyun pursed his lips, thinking, eyes narrowing for a second. “Oh, I know! Wear something awesome…like a cloak!”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s basically asking for people to notice you.”</p><p> </p><p>“A cloak would make you look super mysterious, don’t you think?”</p><p> </p><p>“True,” said Chanyeol after a moment of thought. “I do want to try wearing one, but mysterious cloaks are usually worn by people who,” Chanyeol raised his forefinger. “One: a vampire, two: member of a fucking cult, three: came from the medieval period, or four: all of the above.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure you’re not a serial killer because you really talk like one,” Baekhyun joked and Chanyeol only chuckled at him.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re really weird, you know that?” Baekhyun quipped after a beat of silence, a teasing grin painted on his lips.</p><p> </p><p>“So are you,” Chanyeol retaliated, mirroring the smile Baekhyun was wearing.   </p><p> </p><p>“Have you seen yourself?”</p><p> </p><p>“I did,” Chanyeol simply said, looking oh so haughty with his boyish smirk. “And I’m a 100/10.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun did not need to argue with that. Instead, he let out a hearty laugh. He did not expect the cockiness from someone who seemed like a harmless kid about to burst in tears minutes ago. </p><p> </p><p>“What are you even doing outside at this hour?” Baekhyun asked, curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” Chanyeol said, one eyebrow raised. “I’m just in front of my dorm while you looked like you had a fun night.”</p><p> </p><p>“Touché,” Baekhyun grinned.</p><p> </p><p>“Coming home from a one night stand?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not really,” Baekhyun shook his head lightly. “I went to this party and woke up on the floor only to discover that my friend ditched me. Good news is I’m still fully clothed which means I didn’t do anything stupid,” said Baekhyun, perhaps too happy. “I wasn’t even supposed to go to this party.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then why did you go?”</p><p> </p><p>“My friend is really good at persuading people,” Baekhyun chuckled, and then groaned as he remembered his unfinished paper due in a few hours. “Which I shouldn’t have listened to since I have classes later at noon and a motherfucking paper to finish. I am so doomed,” he let out a humorless laugh that sounded almost like a cry.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad you’re finding humor in your situation.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so fucked.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you want to I’ll help you with it.”</p><p> </p><p>To this, Baekhyun straightened up. “You’re offering help to someone you barely know?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you,” Chanyeol snorted, rolling his eyes as he did. “You’re Baekhyun, silly.”</p><p> </p><p>“But we just met,” Baekhyun said, dumbfounded. </p><p> </p><p>“So? It’s not like you’re a murderer or some shit,” Chanyeol gave him a knowing look and Baekhyun cannot help the grin threatening to split his face. </p><p> </p><p>“What if I am?”</p><p> </p><p>“Trust me, I know a psychotic murderer when I see one and you’re very far from looking like it.”</p><p> </p><p>“And how would you know?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a secret you have to find out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah…Takes one to know one, I guess,” Baekhyun teased once again and Chanyeol only rolled his eyes.  </p><p> </p><p>There was a lull in the conversation after that, but there was no trace of awkwardness in the air between them. They were both just sitting and staring ahead, probably thinking of what to say next.</p><p> </p><p>This was Baekhyun’s cue to leave and bid Chanyeol good night, say it was nice meeting him, politely thank him for the ice cream and for his unexpected yet delighted company, and retreat back in the comforts of his dorm to finish his dreaded essay, but Baekhyun did not want to leave just yet. </p><p> </p><p>It was funny how moments ago Baekhyun wanted nothing but to go back to his apartment, maybe take a nap and finish that essay, but now he wanted to stay because he actually enjoyed having a conversation with this stranger who actually turned out to be less than a stranger now. That being said, Baekhyun initiated a new topic, smiling to himself as he thought of the perfect one.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I ask you something?” Baekhyun started. He could see Chanyeol in his peripheral vision, nodding his head as he scooped his ice cream. “What can you say about the cockamouse? Where do you stand?”</p><p> </p><p>Chanyeol turned to look at Baekhyun, mouth formed into a thin line. For a moment, Baekhyun thought Chanyeol was going to tell him that there was no such thing, that it was a silly discussion to begin with, but then the boy laughed boisterously, and Baekhyun could not help but laugh along with him, both of their laughters echoing in the empty and dark streets.</p><p> </p><p>“I c-couldn’t,” Chanyeol wheezed. “You looked dead serious asking me where I stand.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun stopped laughing briefly as a sudden thought came to him. “You do know about the cockamouse, right?”</p><p> </p><p>With that, Chanyeol laughed harder, hitting Baekhyun in the process. Baekhyun giggled. He really cannot help but laugh as well when Chanyeol does. The boy’s laughter was outright contagious. </p><p> </p><p>Chanyeol wiped a tear before saying, “It’s the craziest, meanest looking mouse I’ve ever seen!”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun grinned before playing along with Chanyeol. “It wasn’t a mouse. It was a huge cockroach!”</p><p> </p><p>“It had whiskers!” Chanyeol cried.</p><p> </p><p>“But those things coming out of its head, those were antennae,” Baekhyun put both of his hands on top of his head, forefingers pointing upwards to emphasize the antennae. </p><p> </p><p>“It has fur!” said Chanyeol before breaking his character and becoming a laughing mess, once again, with Baekhyun.</p><p> </p><p>“You watched How I Met?”</p><p> </p><p>“I love that show.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me too,” Baekhyun replied, enthusiastically. “It’s not my favorite but I watch it every time I get stressed out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. Same here.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, the cockamouse, you think that’s true and not just some made-up creature?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re still onto that?” Baekhyun nodded, leaning forward in anticipation at Chanyeol’s answer. “Hmm… I think that there’s a possibility of it existing. There’s plenty of unknown species in the universe that has yet to be discovered. If there is one, I’m pretty sure that it may have been the result of a science experiment gone wrong,” Chanyeol snickered. </p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun smiled, content at Chanyeol’s answer. He was beginning to feel happy that he met Chanyeol. The boy matched him quite perfectly. </p><p> </p><p>They talked more about everything and nothing in particular. Ice creams melted and forgotten on the side, too immersed with their conversation to actually remember their half-eaten ice creams. Baekhyun might not have even realized that his slightly throbbing head was no longer throbbing. Maybe ice cream was one of his hangover remedies. </p><p> </p><p>“Aren’t you cold?” Chanyeol asked out of the blue.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you think that came off a bit delayed?” Baekhyun smirked. “You should’ve asked me that before you gave me ice cream.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, sorry for belatedly noticing that you’re actually wearing too thin clothes,” said Chanyeol while Baekhyun gave him a teasing smile. “I m-mean… I’m just w-worried that y-you might g-get sick—” </p><p> </p><p>“I get it,” Baekhyun chuckled, cutting Chanyeol mid-sentence and saving him from further becoming a stuttering mess. “I’m not cold at all, but thank you for your concern.”</p><p> </p><p>The orange lamp posts started to dim and the sun began to rise from the horizon. They both peacefully watched the sun paint vibrant colors to their once black and white surroundings. </p><p> </p><p>“You haven’t given an answer to my question earlier,” Baekhyun said after a while, not taking his eyes away from the budding sun. “What are you doing out here?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was waiting for the sunrise.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you do that every day?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sometimes,” Chanyeol leaned back a little to get a proper look at the sky. “Only on days when I feel like shit.” </p><p> </p><p>“Is it okay if I ask why?” </p><p> </p><p>There was silence that made Baekhyun think that Chanyeol would choose to ignore his question, but then Chanyeol spoke in his softest and calmest voice. </p><p> </p><p>“It gives me hope...,” Chanyeol started, a small smile slowly making its way on his lips. “...that today might be a little different, that today could be so much better than yesterday.” </p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun watched Chanyeol bask in the way the sun was rising, eyes closed and smiling contently to himself, breathing in the burgeoning hope of better days ahead. He could feel the positivity and hopefulness oozing out of Chanyeol and Baekhyun felt his own heart tug at the sight, felt some sort of soft spot for the boy next to him. Chanyeol opened his eyes and looked his way, their eyes met for the briefest second before Chanyeol averted his gaze. </p><p> </p><p>“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun called.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Promise me that you’ll start painting again?”</p><p> </p><p>“I can try,” Chanyeol nodded, hesitant.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe attend some classes if you have time or once you graduate.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe.”</p><p> </p><p>“You have to show me your paintings next time.”</p><p> </p><p>It was obvious that Chanyeol was surprised to hear such words coming out of Baekhyun with the way he flinched in his seat and with the way he turned to him, eyes wide and disbelieving. There was also a bit of something else in Chanyeol’s expression that Baekhyun cannot quite decipher. It made him squirm a little in his seat, but Baekhyun did not mind, it did not make him feel uncomfortable, it just made him feel all kinds of warm.</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you looking at me like that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing,” Chanyeol said, the tip of his ears getting red. Baekhyun found it endearing and once again had this stupid urge of touching them. “It’s just that...no one has ever asked to see my paintings before.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Baekhyun bit his lower lip. Maybe he should not have said that. It was a bit personal to ask someone to show them their artwork especially if they were unready or unwilling. Was Chanyeol willing? Baekhyun hoped he did not come off as overbearing. “I mean if you only want to. I don’t want you to feel obligated—”</p><p> </p><p>“I want to.” Chanyeol suddenly said, smiling sincerely at him. “Thank you. It means a lot.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re very much welcome,” Baekhyun replied, mirroring Chanyeol’s smile. “You better start painting if you want to show me your work, then.”  </p><p> </p><p>Chanyeol nodded slowly, beaming at the smaller as he softly said. “Okay.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey there sunshine thank you for giving this short cb fic a chance ♡ i hope for everyone's safety always disinfect and observe proper social distancing! </p><p>talk to me on stan twt @mydearestcb</p></blockquote></div></div>
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